Subject: Is this a ladybird spider? Location: Mytilene, Greece June 9, 2016 2:45 pm Hello I am in Mytilene, Greece, where I found this beautiful spider and tried to take a picture but was too fast for a good shot. I would like to learn if it is poisonous Goog job Signature: Eri

Ladybird Spider

Dear Eri, This is indeed a male Ladybird Spider and they are not considered dangerous to humans.

Subject: Ladybird Spider Location: Chania, Crete April 21, 2016 11:40 am Hi, Today at the University I saw this spider. Curious about how it looks I ended up in your page and learned it’s somehow rare to find. So, if its in any way good, I’m sending you an image and a short clip of this beautiful specimen. Loved your website, straight to bookmarks. Signature: José

Subject: Lady bird spider Location: Veysonnaz Switzerland August 19, 2015 1:57 am Hi, We are in Veysonnaz and see the ladybird spider quite regularly. My children often have seen them in the past years that we have been here on holiday. I will attach a picture Signature: Candy Kitsz

Ladybird Spider

Dear Candy, Thanks so much for sending in your image of a gorgeous male Ladybird Spider. It is our understanding that populations of Ladybird Spiders are on the decline because of habitat loss. We believe your individual is Eresus cinnaberinus based on images and information on the Spiders of North West Europe site. We are running a bit late this morning and this is the only posting we can make prior to heading to work. We apologize to our readership and we promise to post additional images later in the day.

Hi Daniel, Thanks for your email. According to my children, there are quite a lot of the ladybird spiders at a certain area in Veysonnaz town. However, we have never seen them higher up on the mountain. They are very pretty and I had no idea that they were so rare. I will post more pictures should I see them Warmest wishes Candy Kitsz

Subject: Ldybird Spider Location: Vamos, Crete May 23, 2015 8:05 am This was taken in my garden on the island of Crete. Can you tell me if it is poisonous? Fascinating to find many different spiders here. Last one we found was a wolf spider. Signature: LindaJ

Male Ladybird Spider

Dear LindaJ, Your endangered male Ladybird Spider in the genus Eresus, most likely Eresus sandaliatus based on information included on the Spiders of NorthWest Europe site which has images from Crete indicating that the species can be identified by the black and white hind legs. Most spiders have venom, but very few species of spiders are considered dangerous to humans. To the best of our knowledge, the Ladybird Spiders are considered harmless, and the fact that they are endangered through much of their range indicates that no methods should be used to threaten them if they are found in your garden.

Subject: Poisonous spider in Greece? Location: Kos Island, Greece August 30, 2014 4:50 pm Hello, during my visit in Asklepion on Greek island Kos, we found on the stairs this big black spider, about 7 cm long. It was quite aggressive, when I took it away from the visitors, on a long stick to the nearest forrest, it was biting the stick! Could you please help me identify what kind of spider it was? Signature: Olaf

Female Ladybird Spider

Dear Olaf, In our opinion, this looks like a female Ladybird Spider in the family Erisidae, a family with many endangered and rare species. Ladybird Spiders get their common name because of the coloration and markings of many male spiders in the family, which are red with black spots. Ladybird Spiders exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphism, and the larger, often black females appear to be distinctly different species from the male Ladybird Spiders. See FlickR for a similar looking image and SpiderzRule for additional information on Ladybird Spiders.

Subject: Unidentified spider Location: Delphi, Central Greece, Southern Europe August 13, 2014 7:57 am This spider was seen in Delphi, Greece, on 10th May 2014. I haven’t seen one before… It is about 3 – 4 cm long, black and hairy with an orange ring on its back which covers its belly. I moved it with my leg and it felt endangered, so it lift its forelegs to attack. Pretty scary and amazing! I would be delighted if you could send me feedback with the species of this spider as to search for further information. Thank you in advance! Signature: Demetrios Grigoropoulos

Ladybird Spider: Eresus ruficapillus

Dear Demetrios, This is a Ladybird Spider in the family Eresidae, and it is a male spider. The males and females exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphism, and they don’t even resemble the same species. Most examples of male Ladybird Spiders we have seen have bright red abdomens with black spots, and their coloration and markings resemble those of a Ladybird Beetle, hence the common name. We located an image of the Eresidae, Lady bird spider page that looks very much like your individual, and you must scroll down to Eresus ruficapillus to view the images.Another individual is pictured on the Arachnofilia forum. Ladybird Spiders are not commonly encountered and there is much evidence that they are endangered.